Compare And Contrast Qin And Han Dynasties

The Warring States Period was succeeded by the Qin and Han dynasties. During the Warring States and Spring and Autumn Periods there was a massive power vacuum and several different states were locked in a struggle to control China.

The Qin and Han dynasties changed many things regarding how China was governed. An example would be standardizing the units of measurement, currency, and the width of roads which Qin Shi Huang did to ease trade within his country, his choices strengthened the unity between areas under his command. Another change is the Han dynasty’s usage of education. Permitting all boys to receive an education to a certain extent was a common tactic employed by Han rulers because they had ulterior motives for the boys they taught.

The Zhou kings used a feudal lord system and allowed pre-existing rulers to remain in power. The Zhou Kings lenience with the rulers who were already in place was clear. The Zhou Kings allowed feudal lords to retain their armies as long as they pledged allegiance to the Zhou kings. The eventual collapse of the Zhou was due to their central government weakening to the point when they could no longer control the states they conquered. “Zhou power declined gradually during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period” (Wachtel, 2009, 57). The Zhou states fell into chaos, and turmoil began to brew once the central government’s inability to rule became apparent; the catalyst of said turmoil was the desire for dominion over China, “As the Zhou states competed for power, the authority of the Zhou dynasty slowly lessened and the feudal system died out.” (Wachtel, 2009,

Qin Shi Huang is credited as the first emperor of a unified China; his being the first emperor of a unified China showed that his methods were superior to those of the previous states and dynasties. During his conquest to purge China of opposing forces he left no existing kings or rulers in control over what was once considered their land. “He abolished territorial feudal power in the empire, forced the wealthy aristocratic families to live in the capital, Xianyang, and divided the country into 36 military districts, each with its own military and civil administrator”(Müller, 2018). Qin Shi Huang used similar tactics to ensure his kingdom did not collapse like its predecessor, the Zhou dynasty, from inner struggles for power. Trade was ineffective in China during the Warring States Period due to the fact that a majority of states had their own currency and units of measurement. Knowing of this issue, Qin Shi Huang decided to improve his subjects’ ability to trade within themselves. “He also issued orders for almost universal standardization—from weights, measures, and the axle lengths of carts to the written language and the laws. Construction of a network of roads and canals was begun, and fortresses erected for defense against barbarian invasions from the north were linked to form the Great Wall”(Müller, 2018). Another method used by Qin Shi Huang was recalling common texts,